“Perhaps, we are in Nigeria, where judgement has a price”
I couldn’t read to the last phrase of the self-destructive piece written by Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor in response to Finland’s verdict. He was elated and celebrated the verdict against Simon Ekpa.
The barrister supported the sentencing of Simon Ekpa and outlined the evil deeds of the Finland-based Biafra agitator. He acted like the evil deeds began from Simon Ekpa. Ekpa is a facilitator, and it’s a fact that cannot be disputed.
The news might surprise outsiders, who may find it hard to believe that a lawyer representing one Biafran agitator is celebrating the sentencing of another.
The news is even more surprising because Ekpa only inherited ESN from Nnamdi Kanu, who founded and armed them. So, if the one who inherited gets 6 years, how many years will the founder get?
Childishly, the barrister decided to go on moral rants but forgot to revisit Nnamdi Kanu’s broadcast during EndSars and many other broadcasts that materialized.
Barr. Ifeanyi Ejiofor was blinded by internal conflict and interests. He fell out with Simon Ekpa, and when the center couldn’t hold, they engaged in public attacks against each other.
From inception, it has been about finances—who controls them and whose pockets they are channeled into. In the IPOB franchise, cartels and cabals exist, and they are the cores of their rebellious life.
Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor happens to find himself in a different cartel; hence, Simon Ekpa becomes his arch enemy. The sentencing of Simon Ekpa is a victory in their game of chess.
Who Is Simon Ekpa?
Simon Ekpa used to be a lone voice supporting Biafra agitation like most Igbo fanatics. His program on his Facebook made him popular among the IPOB faithful who join every day.
Ekpa gradually began to win public opinion among the IPOB members, and he was then a replica of Nnamdi Kanu. His hardline stance, firebrand program, and oratory endeared him to the IPOB family.
Suddenly, jealousy crept in, and Ekpa had to face a budding opposition. He was first accused of dividing Nnamdi Kanu’s audience by anchoring his Facebook program at the same time Nnamdi Kanu’s program was ongoing. Others accused him of not being an IPOB member under oath.
Unperturbed, Ekpa continued with his program, and members of IPOB followed up, and when attacks couldn’t stop Ekpa’s upward trajectory, Nnamdi Kanu had to officially come in by recognizing and endorsing him.
When I spoke with Simon Ekpa’s confidant, I made it clear to him that Ekpa had the opportunity to be a third-force factor or another option for the people, and Nnamdi Kanu saw that, which prompted him to quickly absorb Ekpa—to emasculate his shine. I made it clear that Ekpa would fail in his adventure if he accepted Nnamdi Kanu’s unsolicited offer, and he made the offer because he felt threatened by Ekpa’s shine.
Unfortunately, Ekpa took the bait. Instead of taking the recognition Nnamdi Kanu gave him and moving on independently, Ekpa decided to collapse his audience into Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB. By virtue of Nnamdi Kanu’s pronouncements, Ekpa became a member of IPOB and was accorded all the respect he deserved.
His program became a part of the IPOB official broadcast, and he was absorbed into IPOB. Nnamdi Kanu’s subsequent broadcast was to give Simon Ekpa the power of attorney to replace or represent him in his absence.
When Nnamdi Kanu was arrested in Kenya and brought to Nigeria, his order for Ekpa to replace him was seen as prophetic—in the sense that he foresaw that he would be arrested. Ekpa officially became the disciple and then the direct replacement of Nnamdi Kanu.
But conflict struck once more, and internal politicking commenced. The DOS of IPOB ordered Ekpa to come under the structural control of the organization, but Ekpa, who never was under the structure, objected, and that escalated the internal conflict.
By the time IPOB could recover from the internal conflict, the group had already been fictionalized. Ekpa’s faction pledged allegiance to Nnamdi Kanu, while the DOS faction did the same. The internal conflict raged on and ravaged the organization to the point of no return.
How Did Ekpa Replace Nnamdi Kanu or Use His Power of Attorney?
By the time Nnamdi Kanu was arrested, he had founded ESN and armed them. He oversaw the camping of the armed wing of his IPOB in different forests across the Southeast and Southsouth. He received a guard of honor and issued an order to the armed men to attack Fulani herdsmen, politicians, and saboteurs.
During the EndSARS protest, Nnamdi Kanu had set a precedent of murder. In his broadcast, he ordered members of IPOB to take advantage of the protest to kill and maim the enemy.
When Ikonso died, Nnamdi also swore to use the heads of two thousand men of the Nigerian personnel to bury him. He set the precedent for the murder and attack that ravaged Igboland.
Before Nnamdi Kanu’s arrest, he issued an order to his armed unit to slaughter and behead all saboteurs. He detailed that the saboteurs are Igbo people who disagree with him or his style of agitation.
Every precedent set by Nnamdi Kanu was publicly announced on his Radio Biafra platform, and the precedents were there for Simon Ekpa to follow. And Ekpa followed them to the letter.
When Simon Ekpa took hold of ESN, DOS was apprehensive that Ekpa would emasculate them, so they fought fervently to disorganize Ekpa. Ekpa used the official IPOB-ESN to push his agenda until the ESN boys told him to rename the group so he could have exclusive right over it. He did, and it worked well.
As a good disciple, the first mission of Simon Ekpa, whom Kanu invested power of attorney in, was to push for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. The genuine effort to release his boss led to Monday Sit-at-Home. It led to the emergence of Unknown Gunmen. Finally, it disorganized Southeast.
What Does Ekpa’s Sentencing Mean for Nnamdi Kanu?
Now that the founder of the group and ideology that jailed Simon Ekpa is before the court of law, it’s inconceivable that he would be acquitted.
Judgment precedes in law, and if Ekpa was jailed because he inherited IPOB from the founder, there is a 98% chance that the founder, who propagated the ideology and group over the years, could get harsher punishment.
Instead of rejoicing over the jailing of Simon Ekpa, IPOB should worry that the jailing of Simon Ekpa ended the rationality of Kanu’s acquittal.
Perhaps, we are in Nigeria, where judgement has a price, but that shouldn’t give IPOB confidence of escape.
The post Finland Judgement Delivered Nnamdi Kanu’s Straight Ticket To Jail <p><span style='color:#808080;font-size:18px;'><i>By Ifeanyi Chijioke</i></span></p> appeared first on Diaspora Digital Media DDM.
